USS Michael Murphy: On Board the Navy's Newest Warship

The commissioning of a warship is always a historic moment, but this week's debut of the USS Michael Murphy in New York is bittersweet. Its namesake, Lt. Michael Murphy, was killed in Afghanistan in 2005 and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Firefighters and family were on board the new ship as she cruised into Pier 88 in Manhattan, next to the USS Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum . "Michael was sworn in to the Navy on the Intrepid," says Dan Murphy, the SEAL's father. "The family really wanted to commissioning to occur on Pier 88." Here are some sights and sounds from the Murphy's day in New York City.

The Ship

The Ship

A guided missile destroyer like the Murphy is a multipurpose warship. One primary purpose is to guard against air and sea threats, using four advanced SPY-3 radar arrays and a slew of missiles to shoot down airplanes or to attack submarines. The vessel also has a flight deck for helicopter operations and two "over the horizon" boats used to board other vessels. Built by Bath Ironworks, the 509-foot-long ship will be based in Pearl Harbor. After a shakedown cruise, she'll be ready for action in a couple of years.

The Close-in Weapons System

The Close-in Weapons System

During a test last week, a jet towed a decoy airplane 2 miles behind its tail and the crew of the Michael Murphy shredded the target with its Block 1 Bravo Close-in Weapons System. The weapon—a chain gun poking from under a long tube—fires 75 rounds per second. The Block 1's calling is as a missile defense weapon that can cut incoming threats to pieces. A computer can tell which threat is closest and aim accordingly, says Chief Petty Officer Clifford Emerson. Last week's test was the first of the Murphy's CIWS ; Emerson declared the success to be "pretty cool."